Hey guys! It's time for a new installment of the NegativeWorld podcast. This episode, Cryojin, NinSage and DrFinkelstein discuss games they're playing, rumors and news, under and over appreciated Nintendo 64 games, and the essence of the Mario games.

It got VERY repetitive near the end of the game. Plus, I figured out that you only really needed to power up 2 of the 4 magic things, since they ended up doing the most damage. It got to feel more like a chore, and less like a fun time. Everything just wasn't interesting at all.

How about the next one? Post your availability and interest in the podcast planning thread a few pages back. I wanna record one quicker than the gap we just had so give us youravailability a week or two out. I'll talk with Ninsage and Davoid to figure out capability.

Nice podcast again, gentlemen. Anytime Blast Corps is mentioned you know you're listening to quality! I have to admit, I still find myself confusing the voices now and again, but I'm sure I'll get that down soon. And I, too, kinda like the thought of being on the podcast, but I have nothing interesting to say, probably don't have the proper equipment, and can't think of any free time when I could possibly record one. Thankfully you guys are doing a great job of it. Keep it up and know it's appreciated!

#1. Wasn't Lost in Shadow originally slated as a WiiWare game? My guess is that at whatever point they decided to expand it into a full disk game, they didn't bother to expand the amount of tricks they had, but instead just spread them very, very thin. Hence the repetition. I still want to try it out someday, but I have little patience for overly repetitive games, even if they are high quality. I guess it is too much to hope for that they strip it down to the best stages and rerelease it digitally at some point?

#2. Fink, you better hope that your sister doesn't listen to the podcast!

Good episode! Dr. Fink, it sounds like you had some of the same issues with Epic Mickey that I did (you can check out my review here on NW), especially with that frustratingly unresponsive camera!

During the 'What Do You Fink', when discussing Nintendo Power comics, you guys remembered Nester but couldn't remember the other guy who wore a bowtie. That was Howard:

(Howard Phillips was an actual employee of NOA, acting as a spokesman for Nintendo).

I was excited about Quest 64 when it first released. I thought it looked pretty cool once I actually had a chance to play and see it in action for myself, but there was something 'off' about the way the game played. It's been a long time though.

I remember Hybrid Heaven, and I regret never having played it. The prospect of a deep Konami experience was very alluring, but I think I was turned off by the reviews once the game finally came out.

I played Winback, that was a pretty fun game!

Some N64 games I love that seems to lack appreciation nowadays are

Rocket: Robot on WheelsAn excellent 3D platfomer, it was Sucker Punch's first game (they then went on to do Sly Cooper and the Infamous games). I loved the physics engine and the variety, like one level where you design your own roller coaster then ride it!

Shadow ManA third person shooter/ adventure with a large world to explore (kind of like a Metroid game) and some creepy, disturbing atmospheres. A game that definitely earns it 'mature' label, and not just because of the violence.

The essence of Mario games is a difficult topic to discuss because it is definitely multifaceted. It's also difficult to explain in words, as some of you probably figured out. One thing I love about the Mario games is the crazy imagination of the worlds and the characters.